Odd boy out
by Slipperyslytherin
Summary: Harry grew up grudgingly accepted by the Dursely household. With familial support, how does Young Harry fare in his first year in the wizarding world?Friendship!DM,RW,NL,Snarky Snape, and miss Minnie!
1. Waiting and Hoping

Miss?

Petunia had woken sleepily one morning, and went out to fetch the paper. She shuffled to the door and opened it. Her eyes went wide and she gasped. On her doorstep was a baby.

She had a miscarriage a few months ago, trying for a sister for Dudley…and here was this adorable looking baby. She knelt closer to it, holding her bathrobe tightly around her in the cool November air. She saw the wispy black hair and the pale skin. It looked perfect. She urged it to open its eyes. "Little one, open your eyes for me…" She gasped as it did, slowly.

Her sister's eyes.

Beautiful emerald green. She frowned. Her sister had just had a baby, around the same time she had her son…why was this baby on her doorstep? The baby reached it's chubby hands in the air, giggling. She spotted a note in the basket it was in. "Might as well…come on popkins."

Later that morning, she introduced the boys at breakfast. Dudley had just started talking, and she was hoping little Harry might be able to too. "Dudley, this is Harry, your cousin." She sat them next to each other at the breakfast table. "He'wo." Dudley gave a baby grin, fisting his cheerios. "Hi." Harry smiled back, and hugged him. Petunia giggled to herself as her son blinked, slightly alarmed.

As the boys grew, they were close. Vernon wasn't that close to Harry, and never treated him right, but with her son and herself, she knew the boy would turn out alright. Dudley and Harry helped each other. Dudley was the protector, the big brother. Harry would help him with homework, among other things. Harry was a slip of a thing, he was so much like his mother. Dudley started taking boxing classes and karate when he was six, to get in shape. Vernon insisted on not wasting money on the other boy, so Harry stayed at home. Dudely would teach all he knew to Harry when he would come home from lessons.

While he was away, Petunia would teach Harry to cook, clean, gardening work.

Then…something happened. Harry was in the garden, tending to her prizewinning flowerbed, while she was pruning her rose bushes. She stiffened as she heard a loud gasp.

She looked over to see her flowerbed growing alarmingly fast.

Magic. Of course. He would be just like her. She almost grew angry at the thought, but something occurred to her.

What if she could use that magic for…her own means? So, she dug out his mother's old school books that she had left, and put them in Harry's room. She continued training him in cooking and the like, and extended his training to sewing and fixing things, like appliances and even the car. His tiny hands could fit into spaces that were hard to reach, and they were fast and quick. And there was no denying he was intelligent.

She never told him what he was, she had just left the history books there, expecting he could find out on his own. But she always told him. "Anything…special you do, keep it away from Vernon, keep him from finding out. She was terrified to let him know that her nephew was so abnormal. In primary school, both boys flourished, and were allotted extra tuition in language and arts courses. Vernon didn't like the idea at first 'I will not be having my son be a nancy'… but Petunia convinced him that if their son was taught languages and a creative outlet, that the languages could only help him succeed in over seas business deals, and something creative could impress potential clients.

Her neighbor friends doted on the boys. Dudley was a strapping boy, tall and muscles on his wiry frame, smart as a fiddle. Harry was kind, courteous, beautiful in his own way, and smart as well. They were a good team.

The only problem was, she showered her son with affection, but…never with Harry. It felt awkward, like he didn't belong to her.

She got the mail one morning, and she realized, he never did.

Hogwarts. That was his world. She had done as they asked. Took him in, gave him clothes, fed him, had she done enough to prepare him for what laid out there? She had never looked at those books she had provided for him, perhaps a long discussion was over due. While Dudley was at swim practice, She and Harry were sitting side by side, working on sewing.

"Harry, did you ever read those books in your room, the ones that look old, with the odd names?" Harry nodded. "I did. Quite interesting, I've learned a lot from them." "They were your mother's." Harry looked at her. "I suppose my mother didn't die in a car accident after all." "No sweetie." He sighed, looking down.

She studied him. He had grown to be beautiful, dare she say it, more than his mother. His black hair, when down, was long enough to fall past his shoulder blades, and his pale skin was flawless. His gorgeous green eyes, the ones that all the neighbor women swooned for, were perfect, long lashes, curious. Right now, they looked sad. "Harry…I couldn't say anything, with Vernon…" "I understand." "Here." She handed him a letter. He smiled. "Hogwarts. She went there." She nodded, her eyes starting to burn. "Harry, we cant tell Vernon. I…we have to tell him something though, if you are to go." Harry studied the letter, then held out his hand. A piece of paper appeared, almost identical, except for on first look, it was on regular paper, and it was typed. "There. An acceptance letter to Hogwarts School of the Creative Arts. He wont want Dudley to go there, he'll dismiss it right away. Since the tuition is paid for already, he'll have to let me go."

His aunt stared at him. "You are a genius, you know that?" Harry smiled cheekily. "Aunt Petunia, you flatter me!" He batted his eyelashes, giggling. "So…did you learn a lot from those books?" Harry smiled, nodding. "I learned a lot about the culture of the world, the history, the languages, the creatures and what not. I…I'd need to get my supplies soon." She smiled. "Shopping spree. Just us 'girls'." Harry smiled. Petunia knew the boy wasn't like other boys, she supposed she treated him more like a daughter than a son, but he didn't seem to mind. They hardly ever got to go shopping together, and usually it was just groceries, since Harry made a lot of their own clothes. She knew he was using magic to make them, but they always fit her and her family perfect, even if she swore that her husband had gained twenty pounds, his suit still fit him.

They went to London, where she got him some regular school things, then went to the Leaky Cauldron. She cleared her throat as they approached it. "I…cant go in, since I don't have magic. You'll have to do this on your own Harry." "I understand. What time shall we meet up?" "Four o clock, that would give you some time to look at the book stores and such." Harry grinned, hugging her as he went into the Leaky cauldron.


	2. Enter:The Wizarding World

Chapter Two

"No, that color is all wrong, perhaps a lavender…" His mother mumbled to herself as she went through racks of dresses. Draco was currently being fitted for his school robes in Madam Malkins. He was terribly excited, he was going to go to Hogwarts!

The door opened, and the bell rang. He looked over to see a dark haired boy come in, arms full of bags, setting them aside as he sat down for a moment. He wore black pants and a black sweater, his hair pulled back. The most odd thing about him though, was his aura. That was Draco's secret talent. He never told his father. His father had a dirty blue aura, with black mixed in, his mother had a pink and purple one, Draco saw that his was sort of gold. But this boy…had a wonderful aura. White, silver, it looked pretty, and it made him look as though he was practically glowing.

"Are you starting Hogwarts?" "Yep, first year, you?" Draco nodded. "Name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy." The boy didn't recognize the name, that was obvious, or maybe he didn't care about the history that went with it. "Nice to meet you. I'm Harry." His mother looked up for a moment, going still. "Harry Potter?" The dark haired boy blushed slightly. "Yeah. Seems like everyone knows me around here…" Draco smiled inwardly. That's why his aura was insanely…crazy.

He held out his hand, Harry shook it. "Nice to meet you. So, what house do you think you'll be in?" "Most likely slytherin." Harry smiled. "Oh, that's right, it tends to go in families." Draco glanced at his mother. "This is my Mother, Narcissa Malfoy." Harry smiled politely, shaking her hand. "Nice to meet you Mrs. Malfoy." She smiled at the polite boy. "And what house do you think you will be in?" Harry looked thoughtful. "It could be gryffindor, where my parents were, but I don't think I'd fit in there." "Oh?" Harry just smiled, looking around, until he saw Madam Malkin fixing Draco's robes. "Oh, so that's how she does it." Her tape measure was every where, her scissors flying. "So…you're new to our world?" "Well, sort of. I've been reading about it from my mother's books, but I've never been here before…"

"And where are your guardians?" "Cant come. Uncle's at work, and my aunt…I think she's afraid to come." "Are they…muggle? Wasn't your mother a muggle born?" Harry looked thoughtful. "That's what everyone says, but I always thought that my aunt was a squib, since she can see the Leaky Cauldron and all that. I don't think she realizes it." Narcissa raised an eyebrow. "There is one way to find out, take a lineage test at Gringott's." Draco made a face. "Those Goblins creep me out." Harry giggled. "I like them. They look funny, but they were awfully nice." "Nice?" "Well, I didn't know I had an account here in the wizarding world, but they recognized me and were ever so nice. I wonder why…I mean, the Goblins weren't terribly involved in the last war or anything…" "Well, the Potters do have a lot of money…" "Oh right." Draco hopped off his stool. "Have you gotten your wand yet?" "I was going to get it after here." "Oh, let me come with you, Mum?" "Fine, Your father was to meet us there anyways."

Harry sighed as he left the robe shop. He decided to make his own school robes, those baggy things wouldn't do at all.

They walked into the wand shop.

"Ah, Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Potter, I knew you'd be here today…odd…Happy birthday." "Thanks!" Both boys said. They looked at each other with wide eyes. "No way, your birthday Is today?" "Yeah…so is yours…that's so cool!" Harry giggled. Narcissa looked at them thoughtfully. In arithmicancy, birthdays were rather important, was it just coincidence? "So, who's going first?" Harry looked to his blonde companion. "You go first Draco. I have a feeling I'm going to have some trouble finding mine." Draco had no complaints about going first, and found his quickly, cherry and dragon heartstring. They watched Harry go through wand after wand. Ollivander glanced at them as he handed a wand to Harry. "Try this one. Rather special…" Harry gasped. "It's perfect…phoenix feather?" "How…how did you know?" "I can hear it singing." Harry said softly, with a slight smile. They all stared. "Try it out!" Draco grinned, bouncing on the balls of his feet. He was able to produce some silvery sparks from his wand, he wanted to see what kind of sparks Harry could do.

"Lumos!" He gasped as his wand lit up, a soft golden white, like a beacon. "It worked!" He choked out.


	3. promises, promises

Chapter Three

Narcissa couldn't help but be impressed. The boy had just gotten his wnad,and he had already made a successful spell. She saw her husband come in, staring at the dark haired boy, and his lit wand. "Draco, who is this?" "This is Harry Potter, father, we met him in the robe shop." "Ah." The boy smiled at him politely as they shook hands. Lucius could hardly believe this slip of a boy could have been his master's demise. But then again….his wand was still lit. Harry bit his lip, looking at it. "Um…what was the counter…oh, right, Nox!" The wand stopped glowing abruptly. He smiled. "The wand is perfect Mr. Ollivander. Thank you." "You're welcome. Seven galleons each gentlemen." Harry fished out the money from a fat coin bag. He looked at his bags, smiling to himself as he waved his wand over them. They stared as they all shrank. "You know a shrinking spell?" Draco whispered incredulously. Harry bit his lip. "Well…not exactly, I didn't say a spell at all, I just willed them to shrink, kinda like you do with other things…" The adults raised their eyebrows. "Um…no spell?" Draco gasped.

"Yeah, it's easy, let me show you." He pocketed his wand. "I'm used to doing it with out a wand, here, hold my hand." Draco held his hand. "And put your arm out, holding it over your bags that you want to shrink." They did so. "Okay, what now?" Harry took a deep breath. "Will them to shrink. Feel your magic…it sort of flows…" Draco gasped as his bags shrunk down slightly. "Mum, dad! I did it!" Ollivander blinked owlishly at the boys. "Usually one uses a wand to do magic." Harry smirked. "But those who do not live in a magical home do not have the advantage of wards and such that prevent monitoring magic. You have to do it some way." Lucius looked to his wife, who was looking at the dark haired boy. "What are your plans for the summer Harry?" "Hmm, quite busy actually. My aunt is taking me to see an opera, since my Uncle and cousin were never interested in it anyways, then she's teaching me how to make lace, really complicated stuff there, even magic cant help that along. And my cousin is supposed to show me what he learned at Karate camp soon. And my lessons, of course."

"What's your favorite subject? Mine's potions." "Well, out of magical subjects, I don't really know, but COMC sounds quite interesting, but so does ancient runes." "I think you're too smart to be a gyrffindor, I bet you'll be a Ravenclaw." Harry grinned. "Maybe, maybe not…did you meet my friend, her name is Miss Kitty." He held out his arm, a snake slid out. "I've got an owl as well, but I'm picking her up before I leave, I didn't want to carry her every where. Draco stared at the snake. "Miss Kitty?" "Yeah, it's her name, not like I chose it. I tried calling her something else, but she didn't like it. She's really smart, it's like she really understands me!" Narcissa smiled. "Snakes tend to be pretty smart." The snake slipped back into his sleeve.

"Harry, didn't you say you wanted to go to Gringott's to do that test?" "Oh, right, well, I suppose I should go…"

He looked to his new blonde friend. "I'll see you on the train…hey, even if we're sorted into different houses…we'd still be friends?" " Of course Harry…you taught me wandless magic, that is so cool!" Harry smiled. "Good." He hugged his surprised friend and left the store. "I guess he doesn't know the rule yet…Malfoys don't hug in public." Draco whispered, smiling at his parents. Narcissa hid a smile. "You better teach him quick then."


End file.
